IPL 2026 Retention: KKR's full list of retained players and players' salary

Kolkata Knight Riders have triggered one of the most stunning decisions in IPL history, releasing star all-rounder Andre Russell ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction — a move that is set to send shockwaves through their fanbase.

 

Russell, who joined KKR in 2014, had been one of the franchise’s longest-serving and most influential overseas players. He was among the five cricketers retained ahead of the 2025 mega auction at a price of ₹12 crore, signalling his continued importance. His release marks a significant shift in KKR’s long-term planning.

 

KKR have also released several other overseas names, including Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Spencer Johnson, clearing substantial space in their squad and purse.

 

 

Another major call — though not entirely unexpected — is the release of Venkatesh Iyer, who struggled for consistency over the past two seasons.

 

With the departures of Russell and a group of high-value overseas players, KKR now enter the auction with a strong purse of ₹64.3 crore, giving them one of the largest spending capacities for the 2026 season.

 

The franchise is expected to be among the most active bidders at the auction as it looks to rebuild its core around a fresh set of marquee players. 

KKR released players
Player name	IPL 2026 team	IPL 2025 team	Current Salary	Previous salary
Venkatesh Iyer	TBD	KKR	TBD	Rs 23.75 crore
Andre Russell	TBD	KKR	TBD	Rs 12 crore
Anrich Nortje	TBD	KKR	TBD	Rs 6.5 crore
Quinton de Kock	TBD	KKR	TBD	Rs 3.6 crore
Spencer Johnson	TBD	KKR	TBD	Rs 2.8 crore
Rahmanullah Gurbaz	TBD	KKR	TBD	Rs 2 crore
Moeen Ali	TBD	KKR	TBD	Rs 2 crore

 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained players ahead of IPL 2026 auction
Player	Type	Base (INR Cr)	Sold (INR Cr)
Rinku Singh	BAT	-	13
Varun Chakravarthy	AR	-	12
Sunil Narine	BOWL	-	12
Harshit Rana	BOWL	-	4
Ramandeep Singh	AR	-	4
Angkrish Raghuvanshi	BAT	0.3	3
Vaibhav Arora	BOWL	0.3	1.8
Rovman Powell	BAT	1.5	1.5
Ajinkya Rahane	BAT	1.5	1.5
Umran Malik	BOWL	0.75	0.75
Manish Pandey	BAT	0.75	0.75
Anukul Roy	AR	0.3	0.4
Luvnith Sisodia	BAT	0.3	0.3
Mayank Markande (Traded)	BOWL	0.3	0.3